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For many people, eating is all about control. There are many things in our world that we cannot control but our diet is not one of them. Whether we lack control when we eat or exercise too much control, what goes into our bodies can have a direct effect on our addictions.

Detoxing from drugs and alcohol can be one of the most difficult and painful experiences a person can go through, especially if the drug in question is particularly potent or the addiction severe. If you have a friend or loved one that is about to go through this difficult process, he or she will need all the help you can give to get them through the gauntlet.

You’re walking down a dark alley toward the green fields you know are waiting on the other side. The alley is long and seems endless as you jump and startle at every bump and shriek you hear. A nervous feeling grips your throat and your heartbeat speeds up as you approach a section of the path that gives you all sorts of creeps. It comes sneaking out of the darkness and grabs you from behind, whispering gently in your ear and getting inside your head.

We talk a lot about motivation and what makes us grasp for sobriety in the face of the overwhelming challenge of drug or alcohol addiction. While there are many things that can motivate us toward recovery, it’s important to ask yourself an important question, one which many consider to be the cornerstone of their recovery effort: What am I leaving behind?

One of the most widely-known traditions to addiction recovery is the famous 12 Step Program of Alcoholics Anonymous. These steps were to serve as a roadmap for those who came to the AA program in search of help and recovery. They have helped hundreds and thousands of alcoholics quit drinking and improve their lives. These steps still serve as an excellent foundation for any addiction recovery process.

Most people assume that addiction only visits those who are prone to substance abuse, but the reality is that addictive behaviors can be formed around any activity or behavior that humans are capable of. Many things stimulate the reward centers of the brain, which are responsible for addiction, and so anything good can become unhealthy if you let it. Same goes for work.

We’re creatures of the light. Our ancestors didn’t evolve us to hibernate during the day and hunt for food at night. We are a creature that needs plenty of sunlight and warmth to thrive. For this and many other reasons, patients battling the depressing side effects of addiction can often benefit from a move to warmer, sunnier climates.

We’re all familiar with those super-corny Public Service Announcements of the 1990s and early 2000s that hold thing up as “my anti-drug.” They were corny, as all government PSAs tend to be, but the essential point was that in order to avoid falling into an addictive relationship with substance abuse, it’s important to have a passion and focus in your life that is more important to you than the addictive substance.

It’s all well and good to talk about the successful recoveries and the improved health. We love the inspiration and motivation those stories can give us and when we taste a bit of freedom and sobriety for ourselves, it can be incredibly rewarding. But... what about the bad days?